Why give the same standard cashmere blanket at your next baby shower when the people at Shokay offer something much more special? The company crafts their throws, booties and stuffed animals from luxuriously soft yak down sourced directly from Tibetan herders, helping them to earn a living. We especially love this Tenzing Norgay baby blanket, with it's quirky pattern and cozy feel, named for a Tibetan explorer. Maybe your tot will be inspired by the courage of its namesake.

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With the recent barrage of French indie flicks like Je T'aime Paris and Two Days in Paris, it's high time for a family-friendly tale set in the city of lights. Enter the 1957 Academy Award-winning classic (and one of our editors' long-time favorites), The Red Balloon. The beautiful, silent film has been newly restored, and is available today on DVD for the first time ever. It's sure to inspire travel fantasies in Francophiles tall and small. Tres magnifique!

If every other kid in school also has the Dora bag, consider upgrading to something truly unique. Vessel's Zoo Collection bags are made of sturdy canvas and have bright, graphic designs that featuring giraffes, elephants, and porcupines. The company also makes zippered sacks that are perfect for taking toiletries to sleepaway camp and adorable beach hats.

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As summer nears, it is time to seek out a great hostess gift for that ever-accommodating friend who welcomes you and your brood for barbecues.This double-walled carafe by Romain Gauthrot is so sleek it gets the Museum of Modern Art seal of approval, and the clever design insulates the inner chamber so that hot or cool liquids maintain their temperature. We look forward to using ours for sipping iced tea or sangria poolside.

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True, a tray of fluffy cupcakes will excite any child (and many adults, for that matter), but the creators of Hello, Cupcake! know how to take that excitement to the next level.  The cookbook is full of truly step-by-step instructions that even a baking novice can easily follow. Decorate your cakes like sunflowers for a garden party, ears of corn for a summer barbecue, puppies for an animal lover's birthday, or even spaghetti and meatballs for April Fools Day. Your kids will be more than eager to lend a hand in the kitchen.

From the beginning, the clever folks at Method have sought to make cleaning products--from dish soap to wood cleaners to washcloths-- affordable, all-natural, and attractive. Lucky for us, they're now dabbling in baby care. Their new baby line boasts diaper cream, body wash, and lotion that is gentle and totally eco-friendly...not to mention so stylishly packaged there will be no need to hide them under the sink.

We all know that a little aromatherapy does a body good. Paddywax has taken it to the next level by making sure that its candles also promote
environmental health. Their Eco Collection line is made of hemp twine, soy wax, and natural fragrance oils, and come in dreamy scents like coriander and star anise. Plus, the box that its in can be reused as a planter in the garden. What better way to honor Earth Day than to snatch up a couple of these?

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For those of you raising future astronauts, Smart Lab has come up with toy that lets you explore the wonders of a shuttle launch without making a family trip to Cape Canaveral. This remote control rocket is fueled by the age-old science fair combo of baking soda and vinegar and, with the press of a button, it heads straight for the sky. Next stop: space camp.

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If you think an Ipod is the be-all end-all of mp3 players, prepare to be proven wrong. With the Sansa Fuze, you can store up to 2,000 songs, listen to preset FM radio stations, play videos or peruse photos on the color screen, or lay down your own tunes with a built in voice recorder. Best of all, when the little gadget is full, you can purchase a tiny memory card to double the capacity. The Fuze comes in five colors, with an impressive 24 hours of battery life so you can rock out all day long.

As any chef will tell you, the best way to rid kids of picky-eater-syndrome is to let them help out in the kitchen, where they can watch everything come together. Getting little ones to patiently measure and stir while you whip up a coq a vin is a tall order, but these extra-cute Beansoup aprons are sure to get them amped about dinner duty--and about expanding that finicky palette.

Those yellow number-twos work just fine for scribbling a mundane post-it,
but larger writing endeavors deserve an implement with a little more spunk.These monogrammed pencils from Superdeluxe come packed in a matching linen-bound box, and are available in six gorgeous shades. Use one when penning a lunchbox note or journal entry, and let their whimsy inspire you.

Leave it to a Hollywood mom to show us how being more Earth-friendly can actually make you more glamorous. Author Sophie Uliano takes readers through a step-by-step process to make their lives more eco-chic. From her custom yoga program to her own line of green beauty products, the book is full of cool products (a whole chapter called "soulful shopping") and easy ways to help reduce your carbon footprint. Even Julia Roberts is a fan--she wrote the foreword!

When shopping for spill-proof toddler cups, we'd bet questions like "Is it nontoxic?", "Is it durable?", and "Can I toss it in the dishwasher?" come before "Does it look good?" Thanks to French Bull housewares , the answer to all of these is a resounding yes. Not only will you have peace of mind, you'll also be proud to display these graphic, patterned sippy cups on your kitchen table.

It is not often that we find a toy that costs less than twenty dollars, hearkens back to the simpler toys of our own childhoods, and is spare enough to appeal even to our Swedish-design-freak editors. This railway set by Genius Jones meets all marks, and with three cabooses, eight interlocking tracks, and wooden trees, kids can create their own unique routes. Bonus: in this age of uncertainty surrounding toxins in plastic toys, this is one plaything you can always feel good about.

When your aspiring young shutterfly tires of her pretend camera, and you don't yet trust her with your own sleek digital model, the Pop Cam will satisfy her inner artiste. The lightweight plastic snapper uses 35mm film to capture images in a style after Andy Warhol's heart, dividing the screen into four quadrants with the image replicated in shades of yellow, blue, green and red. Stick the resulting masterpieces on the fridge, or slip copies into invitations to your spring barbecue. After all, every child deserves her fifteen minutes of fame.

Ethnic-inspired textiles were all over the season's catwalks.  Why not cart a bit of spring fashion with you wherever you go, with this line of journals and notebooks designed exclusively for Barnes & Noble by John Robshaw? The covers are bound in rich, colorful fabrics inspired by Robshaw's many trips to far-off places, and the handmade paper is the perfect place to write about your own travel adventures.

Prestige's new line of Skin Loving mineral makeup is truly a no-brainer. It's easy (available in major drugstores), it's inexpensive (nothing costs over $12), and it's actually good for your skin. All the products in the line are paraben, talc, and oil free, making them suitable even for sensitive or acne prone complexions. We're partial to the 3-in-1 powder-concealer, which hides our dark circles with one quick swipe.

This week, none of our finds will break your bank--in fact, not one of them retails for more than twenty dollars! This set of colorful melamine cups is one of those things you never knew you needed, but just have to have. Sit a raw egg in each cup, then hang them on the rim of your pot. Voila--no cracking while knocking around in the boiling water. The set of four can also be used for poaching, meaning you can finally perfect your Eggs Norvegienne without breaking a sweat.

If you're seeking a shower gift for your greenest friend or hoping to replace your tot's germ-infested blankie, Cariboo Earth has the perfect solution. The New Zealand-based company has developed environmentally sustainable, hypoallergenic nursery blankets made entirely from (naturally flame-retardant!) wool. Their unique "anti-itch, anti-prickle" weave promises to be gentle against delicate skin--and the blankets come in five sweet colors, courtesy of non-toxic dyes.

Whether your rings and bracelets were purchased at Van Cleef & Arpels or for five dollars from a street vendor, it is time to stop housing them in
Tupperware or strewn across your bedside table. This typically minimal acrylic jewelry box from Muji is the perfect place to store family gems and plastic bangles alike. The plush velvet-bottomed drawers protect your baubles from scratching, the transparent sides mean no more digging blindly for that missing earring back.

In September, the promise of brand-new school supplies is enough to get the kids excited about class. But come April, a freshly sharpened pencil won't quite do the trick. Why not reintroduce some excitement with this series of Vintage Marvel notebooks? The set of four 48-page books features graphic scenes from vintage editions of Spiderman, Captain America, and other favorites. You could even dole them out one at a time to keep things interesting, but remember: with great power comes great responsibility.

Say goodbye to your bulky nylon laptop bag, with its thick, seatbelt-like chest strap. As our computers are getting smaller and sleeker, so are their carrying cases--like this bag from Urban Junket, which combines handbag and briefcase in one. The rich mahogany leather and detachable crocodile- textured pouch make this piece lust-worthy while the internal organizational pockets and zippered laptop sleeve are all function.